3 minute read
RECIPES
Ghati Masala Prawns
BY CHEF ROHIT GHAI
Credits: Courtesy of Rohit Ghai
Ingredients
• 12 8/12-sized peeled prawns • 2 tbsps rice flour • 3 tbsps corn flour • ½ tsp ginger-garlic paste • ½ tsp garam masala • 2 tsps mild red chili powder • 2 sprigs of curry leaves, finely chopped • Salt and water as needed • Oil for deep-frying • Juice of 1 lime • Some chopped coriander leaves
Preparation
• Wash the prawns and drain them completely. Then marinate the prawns with the chopped curry leaves, one teaspoon of red chili powder and a dash of lime juice, and keep aside. • Make a batter using the rice and corn flour, garam masala, salt, the remaining red chili powder, ginger-garlic paste, and chopped coriander leaves. Add water as needed.
• Deep fry the prawns until they turn golden. Sprinkle with freshly chopped coriander, ghati masala powder, and a lime wedge on top, and serve hot.
MEET THE CHEF EXTRAORDINAIRE
Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur Rohit Ghai is hailed as one of the UK’s most creative and accomplished Indian chefs. Ghai has spent a decade at the helm of various Michelin-starred Indian kitchens - having honed his craft at some of the most prestigious hotels and restaurants in India - including The Oberoi Group and the The Taj Hotels.
Ghai’s highly anticipated solo restaurant, Kutir, meaning ‘a small cottage’ in Sanskrit, opened in late 2018, and it received instant success. In 2019, he launched Koolcha - a street food concept offering Indian favorites such as kulchas, Chowpati vada pav as well as innovative additions like the chicken popcorn masala.
His creative and refined cooking has been applauded by celebrities, dignitaries and food critics. His revolutionary, precise and beautifully presented cooking regularly received praised from media. He recently released his first cookbook titled, Tarkari: Innovative Vegetarian and Vegan Indian Dishes with Heart and Soul.
Chicken Tikka Masala
BY CHEF ROHIT GHAI
Ingredients
For the chicken tikka:
• 8 pieces of chicken thigh, boneless and skinless
• 100 gm yogurt • 1 tbsp Kashmiri red chili powder • 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste • 1 tbsp mustard oil • 1 tsp kasoori methi powder (fenugreek) • Salt to taste • 1 tbsp lime juice • ½ tsp garam masala
For the tikka masala sauce:
• 50 ml vegetable oil • 70-100 gms rapeseed oil • 50 gms butter • 150 gas chopped onion • 1 tbsp chopped garlic • 1 tbsp chopped ginger • ½ tsp garam masala • ½ tsp cumin powder • 4-5 green chili, chopped • 1 tsp coriander • 200 gms tomato purée • 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder • Salt to taste • 50 gms double cream • 1 tbsp honey, if required • Water as needed • 2 tbsps fresh chop coriander • 1 tbsp ginger julienne • 1 tbsp dry, crushed kasoori methi (fenugreek leaves)
Preparation
For the chicken tikka:
• Marinate the chicken thighs with gingergarlic paste, salt and lime juice, and set aside. Make a second marination with yogurt, Kashmiri chili powder, garam masala, salt, kasoori methi powder, and mustard oil. Pour this marination over the chicken pieces and apply it properly. • Keep the marinated chicken in the fridge for a minimum of 20-30 minutes.
• Grill the marinated chicken in a tandoor or in an oven at 200 degrees celsius for about 20 -30 minutes until cooked through.
For the tikka masala sauce:
• Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions until they turn golden brown. • Add chopped garlic and ginger, and sauté for one minute until fragrant. Then add the powder spices and cook for four to five minutes while stirring occasionally. • Pour in the tomato puree. Let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and becomes a deep brown red colour.
• Add the cream and honey and stir the sauce on regular intervals. Add the cooked chicken tikka pieces and cook for an additional 8-10 minutes until the sauce is thick and bubbling. This also helps the meat absorb all the flavours of the sauce. Pour in the water to thin out the sauce, if needed.
• Finish with butter and garnish with fresh kasoori methi.
